Originally Posted by: GreggRich1I need to put in as much effort on my guitars as you did on that post. Thanks man-
Lately I have been having lots of musical ideas in my head; To compose them and play them is something I'd like to do. I've just been spending my time "learning" if you know what I mean. Maybe a shift in focus would take me where I want to be faster and with less pain.
A side note...I was looking over the list of the top Blues guitarists. There's lots of you tube video on many of them. I picked 2 to watch, just because they were on the list and because I never really examined their playing. They are Jeff Beck and Robin Trower. Both Brits.
After spending quite a bit of time watching these 2 guys, I came to the same conclusion about both - I think they BOTH suck.
Not as talented guitarists. Either one of them can rip across a fretboard so fast you can barely follow them. Where I simply cannot appreciate their skills, is what comes out of their heart - their "Brain-hand" connection. I simply do not like their music at all. Trower sounds like Jimi Hendrix, who also on the list, plays music that I hear and say to myself, "what's all the fuss about" - there are 10 million guitarists that are better than this guy, and play better music too.
With Beck, all that is true as well, but he really loses me with the finger picking on a Strat. He loses so much tone by finger picking it adds to the pile of things I don't like on his style. Here's where I am going with this...
Here are 3 guys that have the ability, but what their heart sends to the guitar sounds terrible (to ME). So why shouldn't I simply compile and work on what sounds perfect (to me)?...and get there when I get there.
I sincerely appreciate your thoughts and especially the extra effort for such a long post.
Music has to communicate to you.
While I am not a huge follower of the three you mentioned (Hendrix/Trower/Beck), they are talented guitarists and I appreciate their skill and do like some of there songs. I mean, I wished I had written Voodoo Chile.
To the point; it doesn't matter to you, nor should it, that I like them.
Slipin said something about The Edge. Another guitar player whose style doesn't not speak deeply to me. Overall, I've never been a U2 fan but I do get what makes The Edge special. He developed a style that resonated within him and many other people agreed.
The key is to communicate something that you feel and hopefully others feel it too. In the end, that's music.
No matter the player, your heart and head tell you what you connect with. I can tell you a list pf player that are awesome....to me. So what.
As a player, that is key more than anything else. No matter if you are proficient, if people feel it, that matters.
Guitar players can bag on CC DeVille of poison all day but he communicated with people. I remember when Richie Kotzen (a great player) did an album with Poison. Great playing but not inspiring all around. It wasn't a good match. Same, if we are to take this 'hair band' path further, about Mick Mars of Motley Crue. Not a technically skilled player but it did it in a way that spoke to people.
I do like to learn new techniques like any guitar but sometimes they don't do it for me.
I stopped caring about sweep arpeggios very early on in the 80's. It was cool to watch but as a player....nothing. Left me dry.
So....what does all this mean, gotta play from the heart and not someone else's play list.
